


Kidnapping

by jenna1931



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: First time writing directly in another language, Gen, I Tried, I feel like a terrible person, Identity Reveal, Needed to get it out of my head, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, What Have I Done, Why Did I Write This?, epic win: called her - Lady Noir - before it was official
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-04 15:16:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15843939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenna1931/pseuds/jenna1931
Summary: Adrien is having it rough. Can his Lady help him get over the stress from what happened ?





	1. The snowman

**Author's Note:**

> I tried...  
> 1- I never wrote a story/fanfic directly in english, so please, feel free to direct me to any mistake you may spot. I feel like I'll be writing like a 10-year-old...and that could be insulting for 10-year-olds...  
> 2- I DON'T KNOW how it is to suffer from PTSD. I've never suffer from it and know no one suffering from it. It is my personal interpretation of it, based on what I can guess of how Adrien could be living it. Don't hate me for this; you've been warned.  
> 3- The comic is a collab between my sister and I, first collab ever (she usualy only guide me or just correct me, but never create something over something I've made). It's a little like a fan art, and I think I'm blessed :)  
> This being said, I hope you'll enjoy !  
> 

He came back to himself, waking up slowly and feeling terribly dizzy. The drug they injected was still effective. He wanted to look around, but the light from a desk lamp, mixed with the drug, had for him the same effect as a spotlight right in his face, forcing him to squint. He tried to cover his eyes to help him see better, but realized the precarious situation in which he was. He had been bounded to a chair, a rolled up scarf in his mouth and tied at his nape, gagging him. His hands were tied in a way so he couldn't even touch his fingers, an other rope just above his elbows squeezing his arms and chest to the chair-back. They even tied his ankles to the chair legs. Even if he'd transformed into his alter-ego, he had no chances to free himself, even less to call for help.  
The clouds in his head started to dissipate, and he realized they had let him alone in the room where he was. Completely alone ? He squirmed a little, trying to open the side of his over-shirt, then sighed, happy to see that his guardian-angel was still with him. The small black creature looked at him, anguished, and got carefully out of its hiding place, making sure there was really no one in the room. The kwami stepped on his partner's lap, then hovered to place itself in front of him. The serious look it showed him had nothing reassuring.

"I don't know how to help you", it whispered, making sure no one would hear it. "I'd have to leave you to seek for help..."

The teenager shook his head vigorously, eyes wide, the only idea was terrifying. For a moment, he cursed himself for having once more, once too much, managed to escape the vigilance of his bodyguard. His father always warned him against the dangers of the world, particularly for a rich child, but he always refused to believe him. This time, he understood why his father stubbornly kept him locked up inside the house and imposed the Gorilla to him each time he granted him the permission to go out. After that, he was sure to never see the sun light again... if he managed to get out of this alive.

"Adrien, Kid, I _can't help you_ , you need to understand that !" hissed Plagg while controlling his voice so he wouldn't draw attention. "Ladybug's probably the only one who can free you, but she's not even aware of the situation. I gotta go to warn her."

Adrien gritted his teeth on his gag. He knew what it implied, but couldn't yet resolve that his Lady, his love, the girl of his dreams, not only learned his secret identity, but learned it in such circumstances. He shook his head again, but the look in his eyes was a mix between confidence and anxiety. He gestured to his kwami, pointing at his back with his chin. He then moved his hands, and flexed his fingers except for the one where he wear his Miraculous, his ring bounding him to Plagg. Being partners for over a year now, Plagg didn't have difficulties to understand.

"You want me to take your Miraculous with me ?" questioned the little black cat, Adrien nodding, gritting on his gag even harder.

Plagg flew at Adrien's hands level and gently took the jewel. He came back in front of his partner, realizing Adrien was uncontrollably shaking, invaded by the fear of never seeing the kwami again, nor anybody else in a matter of fact.

"I'll find Ladybug as fast as I can", assured Plagg, softly bumping his head on Adrien's. "Hold on, okay ?"

He bitterly nodded, then watch the magical creature fly away with his ring, phasing through a wall like he was diving into water. He pulled one last time on his bindings, recognized it was a lost cause, then let out the tears of terror he had held back until now.

**=^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^=**

Plagg flew as fast as he could, the weigh of the ring slowing him down a little, but the stress helping him to keep going. He was a kwami on a mission. He started by locating the disaffected restaurant where Adrien was held hostage, then flew to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Of course, he already saw who Ladybug was behind the mask, and he could feel Tikki's presence each time they were near each other. On his way, however, he saw a woman, cornered by three men. He had no time nor way to help her, but he couldn't stay idlely watching. He decided to intervene, flying so fast and so close to the men's faces that they ran away in fear, believing they were attacked by a gigantic insect. It took him a few seconds, but it was enough to help the woman get away, safe and sound. Satisfied, he continued his race against the clock.  
When he arrived to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, he phased through the wall, inspecting Marinette's - Ladybug's - bedroom, but it was empty. He took a moment to take his breath, trying to sense Tikki's presence, but couldn't find her. They must have been too far away, or something terrible happened, for which he hoped it wasn't the latter. He couldn't help but grunt: finding Ladybug in her bedroom would have been perfect, but he was a black cat, and good fortune had never been part of his nor his partner's life. With nothing more to do there, he left the room and continued his search for Paris' super-heroine.

**=^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^=**

He finally met his kidnappers. They were installing some basic recording material, probably for a ransom demand video they would send to his father... Damn, what will he think about the situation ? Will he finally give some shit about him, giving them everything they could ask for in order to retrieve him safely ? Or will he pretend to be too busy, as always, to lift a finger to save him ? He dropped his head, staring at his knees. One thing he was sure of was that his father, willing to save him or not, would probably lock him in his room, throw the key and never talk to him again. Adrien was so lost in thoughts he hadn't realize they already started filming until the man talking behind him took a handful of his hair to force him to straighten up and look at the camera.

"You have one hour !" he said, pointing at the camera. "Otherwise, it's a snowman you'll have back !"

The man let go of Adrien's hair as "delicately" has he grabbed it, making him huff. So it really was a ransom demand. Was it really worth it ? Would they really receive what they asked for ? His father... He was unable to take care of him in a normal, day to day, condition. Would it really need this kind of drastic measure to finally pay attention to him ? He couldn't help but chuckle, the situation just being too crazy, stressful and ridiculous to stay stoic. The man beside him looked at him, perplexed.

"What the... Why the hell is he laughing ?!" the man said, hands on his hips, looking between Adrien and the man with him, working the camera.

"I don't know, man", his partner replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Let him talk, we'll see !"

The first man complied, untying the gag to Adrien's great relief. He was internally panicking, but couldn't stop chuckling - that was probably due to the stress, he thought. Seeing that the man was waiting for him to talk before he put the gag on again, he decided he had nothing to lose, being already on the edge and about to fall. Without realizing it, he put on a Chat Noir's grin on his face, trying to find a little, just a drop of courage to confront the men.

"Heh... I don't want to disappoint you, but you'll wait for a long time for your ransom !" he said, turning to the man beside him. "You're attacking the only man in the world who'll always priories his job over his own son !"

"Oh really ?..." answered the man, asking for more explanations.

"Do you know a lot of people who'd leave their only child alone on Christmas' Eve, without friends or family, _EACH YEAR_ ?" Adrien exclaimed, losing his Chat smile.

"Bah ! Nothing ventured, nothing gained !" said the man, putting the gag back on, grabbing the chair-back and swinging the chair on two legs, disconcerting Adrien. "So, while we're waiting from _Papa_ , you're gonna take some fresh air !" the man added, pulling the chair and its passenger to another room while the cameraman was turning the camera off and started packing back the stuff.

Oh man ! So everything he said had been recorded ? Will they edit it before sending it to his father, or was it already too late ? What if these words were his last ? He didn't hate his father; he was just craving for human warmth ! If his father had watched the entire video, would it help him to understand how he was feeling about their relationship, or would it just add oil to the fire ?

The man pulled him to the kitchen of what looked like an abandoned restaurant. Adrien couldn't look behind him, but he guessed they had arrived at the end of the old kitchen when the man dropped the chair down to its four legs, to Adrien's relief, and heard him open a door. He didn't have the time to try to guess where it lead. The man pulled the chair again, spinning it swiftly and pushing it to the center of the kitchen's freezer, turning his back to the door. Shocked, Adrien couldn't even process what was going on. The door closed behind him, plunging him into shadows. In a split second, he understood why they were menacing to return him as a "snowman".

**=^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^=**

Plagg couldn't stop, even if he began to be exhausted. Searching for Ladybug - or Tikki - was really hard in a city as big as Paris, especially when one didn't know where to look. It was getting late, and the kwami hoped it wasn't getting _too late_. He suddenly watched a trail of hundreds of magical ladybugs fixing damages a few blocks away. He decided to follow this lead.

**=^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^=**

She ran away to let go of her transformation, hiding in an alley way, but used the last minutes she had left to try to contact Chat Noir one last time. It was out of character for him to not show up when there was an Akuma attack, and the radio silence worried her. Her transformation dropped suddenly when she still had one or two minutes ahead of her. As soon as Tikki showed up, she flew away, heading to the entrance of the alley way. Marinette called her back, but her kwami didn't listen. She was sensing Plagg coming in their direction by himself - meaning Adrien wasn't transformed - and at a speed where Adrien couldn't follow by foot. Marinette approached the kwami slowly, understanding there was something going on, and screamed in surprise when she saw a black creature dash to her magical friend. When she calmed herself, she took a better look at the black cat kwami, hugging and purring in Tikki's arms, gears clicking together in her mind. A gasp escaped suddenly her lips when she saw the silver ring between the kwami's paws.

"You're... Chat Noir's kwami, are you ?" Marinette asked, fearing for what it implied. "You're... Plagg, right ?"

The two kwamis let go of each other, then Plagg hovered to face her, worry all over his features. Marinette presented her hands for the kwami to rest, panting, visibly breathless. She couldn't help but notice the ring, perplexed, and Plagg saw where she was looking. He presented it to her.

"My partner has been kidnapped," he mentioned. "Out of the mask, he's a rich child and they're probably waiting for a ransom..." He paused a few seconds, begging her. "Please, Ladybug, he's in danger and I don't know what they're up to."

Hearing that, Tikki phased through Marinette's satchel and started to recharge her batteries while Marinette and Plagg glanced at each other, or more especially, Marinette couldn't stop staring at the ring. It was oddly familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint where she saw it. Lost in thoughts, she jumped when she heard Tikki claiming she was ready for a new transformation. Plagg dropped the ring in Marinette's palm and hovered to free her hands. She hesitated, knowing it was a Miraculous.

"You can wear it, but can use only one at a time," Tikki explained, like she was reading her partner's mind. "As long as you don't use Chat Noir's ring while you're transformed as Ladybug, there won't be any problem."

"And I'll help you if Tikki's out of energy", assured Plagg, flying slightly away to give her space.

Marinette nodded sheepishly to the suggestion, trying to imagine herself dressed as Chat Noir, but she had to hurry. "Tikki ! Spots on !" She called upon Tikki for her transformation. Then, she followed Plagg to the disaffected restaurant. She wasn't used to fight against real bandits - she could confront small muggers on a regular basis - and she wasn't sure how to proceed. She stopped on a rooftop nearby to first have a better idea of the situation. There was a man watching the main door, smoking a cigarette, and Ladybug could see a gun on his belt. She'd have to confront him if she couldn't get in by other means. He looked like he was alone, but she couldn't be sure. He might have a colleague where she couldn't see him. On the other side of the restaurant, it looked like there was no surveillance. The alley way to the service door was blocked... for those who couldn't climb on rooftops. Ladybug found her way in. She jumped down the alley way, but the door was locked. Plagg phased through the door and unlocked it on the other side, allowing the super-heroine to enter through the door, leading to the kitchen. She stopped as soon as she heard speaking, and covered her mouth to hold the gasp that wanted to escape her lips, overhearing their conversation.

"He's been in there for how long, now ?" asked a man before he drank some liquid.

"Don't know, don't care", his partner answered, then grunted. "Urgh... Maybe half-an-hour ? As long as his dad gives us the cash, I don't give a fuck."

"Yeah..." huffed the first man before he burped loudly. "Really liked how you said you'd return him as a _snowman_ to him, though !" Then he started laughing, his partner following him with an annoyed smirk.

Ladybug didn't take long to understand. Chat Noir had to be in the freezer, and was probably in bad shape with all the time he'd spend in there. She had a flashback from when they'd confronted Lady Wifi and Chat Noir'd been locked in a freezer too. Not a long time had passed and he had collapsed in her arms, passed out for a short time, when he got out of there. How will she retrieve him this time, after half-an-hour in the cold, and without his costume ? She looked at Plagg in terror, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. The kwami was also afraid for his partner, having grown fond of him, but Ladybug was the one needing help right now. He patted her cheek, silently trying to calm her down. She needed to focus... and she did. "Lucky Charm !" she whispered, throwing her yoyo in the air. A transparent black-spotted ball the size of a grapefruit, dropped in her hands. It was filled with what looked like some red glue. She looked at the men in the kitchen and she saw their guns flashing in black-spotted red, then she turned to the ball in her hands. Alright, an easy one. She turned to Plagg and saw an evil grin on his face. He knew and his mischief attitude was waiting for this. She nodded, a smile curving her lips, recognizing Chat Noir's devilish smile in the kwami's face, and she threw the ball right on the table where the men were sitting.  
They didn't have a split second. The ball exploded in a "poof" and the men were trapped in a red glue, unable to move a muscle or to take their guns. She got out of her hiding place, Plagg trying to stay out of sight, and walked to the freezer's door. She was proud of her, but as she reached for the handle, she stopped. She was about to discover Chat Noir's real identity, and didn't feel prepared for it. She couldn't wait though, and Plagg needed him to call for his powers to transform. She had no choice, and the beeping at her ears helped her to take her decision. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

**=^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^=**

He'd stop clattering his teeth over the scarf, but the rest of his body was shaking so much that maybe it was just an illusion. He could hear the chatting behind the door, but he was losing consciousness and was unable to focus on what they were talking about. Anyway, it wasn't interesting. His feet had stopped to hurt, he couldn't move his fingers, and had a hard time to just keep his eyes opened. He tried to focus on his breathing, but he was going away. He wanted to sleep, and wondered if he really wanted to wake up. After all, this freezer represented perfectly his life so far: cold, dark and lonely... No, not really lonely. He had his friends: Nino, Alya, Marinette, even Chloe, not to mention his classmates... and his Lady. Will he be able to see her before he... He closed his eyes, trying to focus on her, on the perfect image he had of her. At least, if he was leaving this world, he'd do it peacefully. He suddenly felt a draft of warm air on the back of his head. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a petite silhouette in the middle of the ray of light coming in. There she was. Now, he could close his eyes and sleep.

She felt tears coming up her eyes, full of feelings passing through them. As soon as she saw the teenager bound to his chair, she recognized him. She couldn't believe her partner, her best friend, was her long-time crush, the boy she was in love with. Ladybug came closer to him, afraid to find out she was too late. He looked so miserable, yet so at peace. Adrien had been thrown in there and let alone, in the cold and the dark, to die, but he looked like an angel. She faced him, brushing her hand on his cheek. He opened his eyes, looking at her with a gentle smile despite the scarf gagging him. She heard another beep in her ears and started to free him from his bindings. As soon as he was free, he lost consciousness, leaning to one side of the chair. Ladybug swiftly held him to straighten him up, but she heard another beep. She was about to lose her transformation, and wasn't even out of the restaurant. Her attention turned to the men still glued immobile in the kitchen, yelling. They saw her coming in as Ladybug. If she left as Marinette, they would associate one with the other, and things could go wrong. She turned her gaze to Plagg who seemed to understand what she was thinking about. But if they saw her get out of there as "Chat Noir", they couldn't make any link. They couldn't know about Adrien being Chat Noir, and couldn't know why Ladybug had changed costume and dressed as "Chat Noir". This was probably the best plan. Even if she was in front of Adrien holding him up on his chair, he had passed out and wouldn't see her "change". She took a deep breath and dropped her transformation. A tired Tikki phased through Marinette's satchel and got out with a cookie to recharge her energy. Marinette then turned to Plagg.

"It's 'Claws out' then 'Claws in' when you want to let go", he answered, bracing himself.

Marinette nodded. "Plagg, claws out !" she whispered. Her new costume turned out to be similar to Chat Noir's – _Adrien's_ \- but with a more feminine design. Her bluenette pigtails were gone, leaving her hair as messy as Chat's, also as blonde as his, and her eyes were completely blue instead of green. She took a moment to check on Adrien's state, then picked him up in her arms, bridal style, and got out of the freezer, Tikki following out of sight. Lady – _Lady... Noir ?_ \- saw the men exchanging a glance, not understanding what happened in the freezer for Ladybug to get in and a female Chat Noir to get out. Lady Noir smiled to herself, and left the restaurant by the service door to jump and vault on the rooftops to get away as far as she could from that hellish place.  
When she got far enough, she took a moment to breath and to check on Adrien. She rested her back on a chimney and squatted, sitting Adrien on her lap and resting his head on her shoulder. His breathing was soft and steady. It was a good sign. She brushed her hand on his cheek, and the warmth seemed to wake him up.

He looked at her, but he wasn't sure of what he was looking at exactly. He was looking at Chat Noir, but he had longer hair and blue eyes. What was going on ? Where was Ladybug ? He looked around and couldn't see the black-spotted red suited heroine. He looked back at the blue-eyed Chat Noir who was gently smiling at him, a little amused. Did Plagg found a new Chat Noir to help Ladybug to save him, and this new Chat proved to look awfully like him ? He felt his mind spinning around. Maybe it was a lost twin ? He wondered what is life would have looked like if he had a brother, or even better a twin brother. Being an only child had its perks, but a twin brother... Felix... He liked the idea of this twin being named Felix... He lost his focus from Lady Noir, lost in his weird thoughts, then passed out again.

Tikki signalled she was good to go again. Lady Noir nodded. "Plagg, claws in, please." She thanked Plagg for his help, then transformed again as Ladybug and jumped from roofs to roofs to bring Adrien at the hospital. While he was in observation, Ladybug talked with the officer Raincomprix, explaining what happened and what she did. He added it to the case, knowing about the ransom demand from Gabriel Agreste, and assured he'd do whatever had to be done. Ladybug waited a moment to ask the doctor how was Adrien. Of course, professional secret kept him from telling her everything, but he could tell her he was okay and would probably be able to go back home two or three days later. She thanked him and left when Gabriel showed up.


	2. The box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where the fun starts....  
> and where I don't know what I'm doing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I couldn't find a better name for my akuma...  
> *Sorry, not sorry*

Adrien was sitting on his bed, curled on himself. He wasn't scared or sad, he was just... trying to fix his broken mind. There were so many holes, so many blanks he wanted to fill in, but there were so many things he still remembered and wanted to forget. Pictures, feelings, sounds,... He'd been told that Ladybug saved him, and he was relieved. It meant Plagg did find her, but he didn't come back yet. Was he still with Ladybug ? Did she gave the ring back to Master Fu so he can give it back to him next time he'll see him ? The picture of a blue-eyed Chat Noir flashed back in his mind. Did he find a new Chat Noir ? Was he considered unworthy to use the ring anymore ? Or was it because his identity had been compromised and the Guardian had to choose an other Chat Noir to make sure his identity could stay secret ?  
But even though someone had figured out his identity, he had nothing to fear... His father really locked him in his room and threw away the key... Figuratively speaking at least. He was at home arrest, to rest because of his hypothermia, but Gabriel refused to let him out to just go to school. Anyway, Adrien just had a hard time to get out of his room. His friends had to visit him if they wanted to see him, and it was always under strict surveillance. The Gorilla was always watching the door – the second door being locked - , and Nathalie stayed in the room, but she kept away and never intervened until the curfew. Luckily for Adrien, Nathalie Sancoeur wasn’t "Heartless" despite what her last name involved. Her job forced her to become more or less emotionless, but she was the one who offered to manage Adrien’s schedule to allow him to attend public school in the first place. Adrien being unable to go out of the house for a time, she also managed a new schedule allowing the teenager to see his close friends – even Nino – after their class. Anyway, not only did Gabriel lock his son in the house, he didn’t even speak to him since his return from the hospital. So what Gabriel didn’t know couldn’t hurt Adrien, right ?...  
So there he was moping, unable to sleep. He couldn’t stop to have nightmares, anyway. He was unable to move, prisoner in his own body, unable to see, to ear, to speak, to feel. There was only cold and darkness. Otherwise, his dreams involved a blue-eyed Chat Noir, saving Paris on Ladybug’s side, the latter ignoring him completely. He tried to call her, to get her attention, but he had no voice and couldn’t motion to her, his hands tied up in his back. When he struggled enough, he would wake up screaming, looking right in front of him without really seeing, stuck in his dream for just a few minutes that looked like an eternity. The first times, it took him a long time to snap out of it, used to be kind of slapped by an annoyed Plagg when he had other kinds of nightmares before his kidnapping, but with time, he realized he had to come back by himself, and it left him a bitter taste in the throat. No father, no mother, no Plagg, a little from Nathalie, a little more from his friends, but he had little to no help, pretty much dealing with all this on his own. 

What he didn’t know is that he wasn’t really on his own, or at least, really alone. What he had forgotten is the link Ladybug did between Chat Noir and him. The young girl was watching over him from a nearby roof, perfectly aware of what was going on during the day, but also during the night. She looked anxiously at Plagg who only shrugged his shoulders. She visited him some times while being Marinette, but she didn’t know how to help him. Maybe Ladybug could at least give him his ring back ? She appreciated Plagg’s company even if he was the kind to criticize everything, but Tikki was happy to get some time with her long-time partner. However, Plagg needed to get back to Adrien and she needed Chat Noir to help her protect Paris. She understood that Adrien wouldn’t talk too much about what happened in front of Nathalie, and she was rarely his only visitor. Anyway, even if she knew Adrien was her dorky Chat Noir, she still had difficulties to formulate coherent sentences in front of him, and it was still hard to see beyond the model’s mask... She got it pretty quickly that the personality Chat showed was more or less the real Adrien, the one no one really knew. She became aware of his feelings for her magical self, and suddenly, she understood that Chat Noir was serious while flirting with her. Maybe it would help if she approached him as Ladybug ?  
She swung her yoyo to the Agreste Manor’s roof and stood in front of the large window, tapping delicately to get his attention. It took a few attempts, but he stood from his bed and swiftly went to open to the super-heroine. He was happy to see her, but Ladybug looked at him in concern. He had dark circles under his eyes. Why didn’t she see them before as Marinette ? Then, it hit at her: he was a model ! He was used to makeup and he probably hid them with concealer or something. Looking at him being himself, in his natural state, he worried her more than she could have expected. She needed him as Chat Noir, but not at any cost.

Adrien lost his smile when he saw the concern in his partner’s eyes. "What’s the matter, Ladybug ?" he asked, making the young lady smile despite herself. 

"You’re one to talk !" she replied with a grin. "You look awful !" She looked at him tenderly, her hand cupping his cheek. "You can’t sleep, don’t you ?"

Her gaze, her caring move and her comment stunned him. He blinked in surprise, but couldn’t help himself and leaned to the soft hand, closing his eyes, then shook his head slowly. It was hard to admit, but since his return from the hospital, everything felt wrong. He opened his eyes again, suddenly aware of their closeness. If she had done it while he was Chat Noir, he would probably be purring right now. Ladybug lowered her hand, but didn’t look as embarrassed as Adrien. She calmly took his hand, still smiling, and guided him to the couch, beaconing him to sit beside her. He obeyed without a second thought. They stayed quiet for a moment, enjoying the presence of each other. 

"I promise I won’t push, but do you want to talk about... this ?" Ladybug asked softly. 

He took a moment to think about it. What could he tell her ? What did he want to talk about in the first place ? He sighed. "First, I’d like to thank you", he said, his voice just above a whisper. "They menaced to return me to my father as a snowman, and I have to say..." He looked at her, grateful. "They almost succeeded..."

Ladybug slightly flushed under her mask. "I’m glad I made it in time !" she answered, her smile brighter. But she rapidly lost it, replaced by a frown. "Do you know what happened ?"

Adrien bent over, his elbows on his knees, dropping his gaze. It was hard to remember everything, and he didn’t want to remember everything. But Ladybug was willing to listen, and he’d been told it would be easier to get through all this if he spoke about it with someone he trusted. He couldn’t find someone more fitted to help him than his Lady. "I remember I’d ditched my bodyguard, and for once, I was on my own without any fans running after me, and my bodyguard was nowhere to be found..." He showed a bitter smile. "The only ones I never thought who’d find me, found me..." He started fidgeting, rubbing his wrists at the memory of the ropes. "I think they drugged me. When I woke up, everything was blurry. I don’t remember what happened at that moment. I just remember..." He stopped a moment. He couldn’t talk about Plagg and his ring. "...the impression of losing something important to me. Then, they recorded the ransom demand video and threw me in the freezer." He raised his knees to his chest and rounded them with his arms, hiding his face in them. "That’s where everything started spinning around. I had the feeling I was losing my mind. The cold and the dark, they just..." He shivered, his voice cracking. "I knew I would die, and at moments, I almost thought it would be a good thing."

Ladybug listened, tears beading at the corners of her eyes. She knew she couldn’t erase the memories and felt bad about it, about his last thoughts. How could a young man like him, handsome, rich, popular and loved by so many people, want to die ? She just couldn’t process this feeling. Then, she remembered that, while watching over him, she’d never seen his father with him, taking care of him; just entering the bedroom. Bearings clicked in her mind as she put all the pieces together. The shy Adrien, always smiling, was so different from his alter-ego that it was almost normal to not be able to see them as the same person. Chat was a free spirit, joking, flawed, making a fool of himself sometimes and wouldn’t care about it, and Adrien was... Well, his whole life was settled in a vast schedule – she could tell, she knew at any moment of the day where he was as she knew this schedule by heart. He’d been kidnapped and thrown in a freezer; wasn’t his father worried the slightest ? She’d met Gabriel Agreste once or twice, and she could tell he was a calculated man. Did Adrien’s kidnapping change his precise schedule so much it frustrated him ? Was he so upset he didn’t want to talk to Adrien anymore ? Did Adrien suspect that ? She gently patted his back. Has it always been like that ? She lived in a loving family, where they cared for each other and cuddles were abundant and free. She felt Adrien almost melt under her simple touch. Was he... craving for affection, for human warmth ? She upgraded her strokes to a hug. She felt flush flooding her face and guessed Adrien was feeling the same way as he stiffed for a second before letting her warmth wrapping him. They cuddled for as long as Adrien needed it, Ladybug waiting patiently for him to pull away. 

They glanced at each other. Ladybug felt Adrien was more lighthearted, and she was happy about it. "How do you feel, now ?" She asked, holding his hand. After all this, she didn’t want to break the contact, and he seemed to appreciate the thought.

"Better, thanks to you." He said, a genuine smile on his features.

"I’m glad to hear that !" Ladybug answered with a smirk. "After all, you’ll need your full concentration next time !"

Adrien looked at her, tilting his head and lifting an eyebrow. "Next time ?" He repeated, perplexed. "Next time for what ?"

Ladybug’s smile widened. She turned his hand and put something in it. "Next time you decide to come with me on patrol, silly kitty !"

Adrien gaped. How could she know ? How did she find out !? He looked at the object in his hand and felt a knot in his stomach. His ring, his Miraculous ! It wasn’t silver, but black with a neon green paw print in the center, meaning Plagg was in the magic jewel. He suddenly repressed the urge to face-palm. Of course he remembered that Plagg went to find her with his ring, and she found him as Adrien in the freezer. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together ! She knew who he was ! He really was dumb ! He dropped his gaze, smiling stupidly, then looked at her again, anxious. "What do you think about me ?" He asked, biting his lower lip.

Ladybug never dropped her smile. "The fact that you’re Chat Noir just helped me to know you better, to know both sides of you." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "But I know you’re hurt, Adrien, and I don’t want Chat Noir’s help if you’re not ready. Please, take it easy from now on ? Take your time and we’ll do things one step at a time, at your rhythm, okay _Chaton_ ?"

Adrien acknowledged with a shy smile. He saw Ladybug out, helping her to the window’s edge, and bid her good night. When she was gone, he put his ring back on his right ring finger and smiled to Plagg as he appeared in a flash of green. The black kwami flew right at him, nuzzling his cheek, as Adrien stroked him between his ears. He couldn’t retain the yawn that escaped his mouth. He turned to his bed, placed the magical creature on his pillow and laid down. His night had been going so smooth that he finally slept through it peacefully.

**=^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^=**

A few days had passed since Ladybug’s visit. Adrien felt more and more confident, and it showed when he met his friends after school. Even if Alya and Nino mentioned it to him, Marinette stayed silent, listening to the conversation with a knowing smile. Adrien was talking and smiling and she could finally tell the difference between his authentic smile and the one for the photographs, and if she squinted her eyes enough, she was able to see Chat in most of his smiles from now on, and it warmed her heart. As Ladybug, she was glad to see that HawkMoth was taking it easy on her, in a way, as there were no akuma attacks during Adrien’s recovery. She was still patrolling at night, but everything seemed quiet.  
Chat Noir even risked an exit for patrol one night. Feeling the power of his Miraculous running through his veins, the cool wind on his face while vaulting on the rooftops of Paris, he just couldn’t stop smiling. Since his kidnapping, his bedroom had become comforting, but parkouring around Paris was liberating. He was realizing he couldn’t stay locked up in his room forever. He jumped to the top of the Eiffel Tower and waited until Ladybug had joined him, welcoming him with a hug. He realized he needed that, purring loudly. The fact she knew who he was was kind of embarrassing, but she never judged and never changed the way she was acting with him, like nothing happened, and it was reassuring. With everything that happened, he needed stability, and his Lady was the center of his universe. He tested a few things, like dumb cat puns and flirts as he always did, and she only rolled her eyes with a smile, like she always did. She was there for him, by his side, and he was relieved.  
They sat on a beam, looking at the _Ville Lumière_ for a moment, when they heard screaming, begging for help. They exchanged a glance.

"Let me handle it, please", asked Chat Noir, standing and taking his baton on his back. "Let me..." He searched for his words, dropping his gaze an instant. "I need to know if I can do this again, or if I’m pushing myself..."

Ladybug bit her lower lip. A week only had passed since he’d retrieved his Miraculous. She finally nodded. "Alright, but I’ll stay around. At least, if you realize you’re not ready yet, I’ll take care of it."

Chat Noir agreed to that, and jumped in the direction of the screams, Ladybug following him like his shadow. They found a woman being chased by a man. He didn’t look like he had been akumatized; only a mugger. Even if they knew normal people could be as dangerous as akumatized victims – Adrien could tell – Chat Noir jumped into action and immobilized the man with a simple hit in the mugger’s legs. Ladybug took care of the woman, making sure she was okay, while Chat disarmed the man and called the police to come arrest him. It only took a few minutes, and they were back at the Eiffel Tower, Chat Noir displaying a satisfied smile.

"I’m _feline_ alive again !" He exclaimed, fists on his hips. "I have to admit, I thought I’d never feel like this anymore, and this is _paw_ some !" He dropped his gaze on Ladybug, sitting beside him, hiding a smile with her hand. "It feels _purr_ tty nice to be back !"

"Seems like it !" replied Ladybug, rolling her eyes. "You’re unstoppable with your puns, suddenly !"

Chat sat down, bringing his grinning face so close to Ladybug that he could see some flush – and _oh ? Are those freckles ? How adorable !_ \- on her cheeks. "Admit you missed them..."

"Nope", she answered flatly, "but I missed you." She added with a shy smile before she giggled. "I can’t believe how dorky Adrien Agreste can be when no one’s watching..."

"Well, _purr_ haps one day, he’ll be dorky in front of the whole world !" Chat said with a smirk. "Knowing you’re my whole world, I’ll probably never stop being dorky around you, just so you know !"

Ladybug laughed heartily, Chat looking at her tenderly. He was happy to be back to normal, to what was _his_ normal. They watched over the city for an hour, then parted ways. He probably will have to talk to Nathalie about starting to go outside again. His gigantic bedroom had suddenly became too small for him.

**=^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^=**

Nathalie agreed to let him get out of the house, as long as he was constantly under his bodyguard surveillance, and this time, he had been warned that if he ditched him again, this privilege would be revoked for at least a month. Adrien asked her what his father thought about it, but she just raised an eyebrow and turned her gaze on her tablet. He understood that she didn’t ask him and didn’t seem to care. She was making things easy for him, and that was a change and a relief. His luck seemed to have turned. 

Until that akuma attacked.

Ladybug was already in the park where the akuma victim was. The man had a blue skin and what looked like a delivery service uniform, modified by the akumatization. The young heroine guessed he probably got fired for a professional fault – lost a package, delivered it at the wrong address, etc – and his negative feelings attracted the akuma. She stayed away to study the akuma’s _modus operandi_ and powers. It looked like he only wanted to put all Paris in boxes - people, monuments, pigeons – everything was susceptible to end up in a cardboard box. Ladybug almost laughed. If Chat Noir was a fraction like a real cat,...Speaking of the devil, the blond kitty showed his tail, his usual grin on his face.

"I’m the Box Ghost !" Claimed the akuma, making Chat chuckle. Was it serious ?

He turn to Ladybug, still laughing. "Can we adopt him ? He looks friendly and I love boxes !" 

The young lady giggled, her suspicion proven to be true. She shook her head, a grin still plastered on her face. "We have to find the akuma", she recalled. "The only object I can see is his nametag."

Chat Noir squinted, spotting the small object on the akuma victim’s chest. They were too far away to read the name on it, but Chat nodded, agreeing to Ladybug’s intuition. Chat Noir jumped into action, attracting the akuma’s attention while Ladybug called her Lucky Charm. It was Chat’s first akuma since the kidnapping incident, and she didn’t want the fight to last longer than necessary. Even if Chat showed a cool facade, she could feel he was nervous about the confrontation.  
She didn’t pay attention to her Lucky Charm, and a black-spotted red tape-gun dropped on her head. _Riiiiiiight... A tape-gun with a box themed akuma... Seems legit..._ She looked around and spotted a fenced corner in the park. Then she turned her gaze to the Box Ghost - _pfft !_ \- and saw cardboard boxes materializing really small in his hands and enlarge depending on what he threw them at. She took a look at Chat, making sure he seemed okay, but unable to hear the puns he probably was pitching at the akuma - _was it a bad thing ?_. She braced herself and joined Chat Noir in the action.  
He was doing good actually, jumping around and avoiding the boxes the akuma was tossing at him. However, he realized he had troubles to concentrate, all his mind being at avoiding the boxes. He was grinning, the fight thrilling him, but couldn’t think of jokes and puns to shoot at the akuma. He had tried to use his baton to hit a box back to its sender, but it encased his staff and Chat couldn’t figure out which box it was in. Chat Noir saw his partner tinker something in a corner of the park with what looked like her Lucky Charm and took on him to give her the time and space to settle her trap. He attracted the attention of the Box Ghost - _What a stupid name, really !_ turning the akuma’s back from his Lady. As soon as she was done, she made Chat a positive sign, but it distracted him just enough for him to get encased in a box, hearing the akuma scream "Beware !" for the umpteenth time.  
Ladybug watched her partner being en-boxed with some worry at first, but she finally smiled. Didn’t he say he liked boxes ? Anyway, these were cardboard boxes; nothing hard enough for Chat’s claws, or Cataclysm at worst. She attracted Box Ghost’s attention - _No, really, HawkMoth could have done better with his champion’s name..._ \- and he threw her a batch of boxes, burying her. Box Ghost stopped his attack, satisfied by the amount of boxes over Ladybug’s head. He, the Box Ghost, had succeeded at capturing the infamous Ladybug and Chat Noir !  
He came forward, taking pleasure at the result of his assault, HawkMoth congratulating him in his mind. But as soon as he was near enough, he saw Ladybug do a roll from under her box mountain, grab his nametag and crushing it on the floor, freeing the black butterfly she swiftly captured and purified. She looked at her trap with some pride. She had spun a web with the transparent tape and hid under it, letting the tape act like a spider web and stick to the boxes, allowing her to avert being en-boxed like Chat Noir. Speaking of which, she couldn’t find the box he was stuck into, but Chat Noir being basically an overgrown cat, it didn’t really surprise her that he took his time to get out of it. She shrugged her shoulders and threw her Lucky Charm in the air, calling her magical Cure. 

As soon as the magic ladybugs had cleaned the park, she retrieved Chat, kneeling and slowly pawing on the ground. Ladybug couldn’t see his eyes, but the fact he was kneading just made her smile. He really loved boxes ! She shook her head and called him, but he didn’t move. She tilted her head, perplexed, and came to him, kneeling in front of him. Still no reaction. Strange. She put her hand on his shoulder, calling him softly, but he stayed unresponsive. She started to worry and cupped his face with her hands, forcing him to look at her. He was looking right at her, but was unable to see her. His pupils were dilated, completely covering the iris of his eyes with black. He wasn’t in the park anymore, and at his pale face and stiff and shaking frame, she could tell he was back in the freezer... The box ! The darkness and the confinement of the box had triggered the memories back. It only was a cardboard box, but it was enough to break his mind, to put him in shock.

She softly brushed his cheeks with her thumbs. "Chat, it’s okay", she said gently, her voice just above a whisper. "Everything’s fine !" His eyes didn’t move, but his cat’s ears wiggled slightly. He could hear her, but was unable to respond. She leaned to wrap him with her arms, slowly stroking his hair in a reassuring manner. " _Adrien_ , please calm down", she whispered so quietly she wasn’t even sure he’d heard her. "I’m here, with you, and I won’t let you go. Please, come back..."

His breathing became more steady and he slowly raised his hands to respond to the hug. He closed his eyes and hid his face in the crook of her neck. Ladybug continued to stroke his hair, shushing calmly. He finally pulled away, but was still shaking uncontrollably. He exchanged a panicked glance with Ladybug, then got up, retrieved his baton and jumped on the closest roof to disappear without a word. The young heroine stood there for a moment, unable to figure out what she could do, then she swung her yoyo and followed Chat.

**=^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^= (:|:) =^..^=**

Even if she had lost his track, she knew exactly where to find him. But as soon as she arrived to his room, she looked at it, perplexed. It seemed he wasn’t there. She spotted the opened window and got silently inside, looking around her. The bedroom was as neat as she had ever seen it, except for the bed, the covers dropping to a side. She took a better look at it and realized the sheets were pointing to the arcade games. Ladybug frowned, spotting the shivering ball covered by the comforter, Plagg floating in front of it, sharing nervously a glance with the young lady. She sighed, hearing a beep at her ear. She didn’t have a lot of time ahead.  
She walked to the shivering ball, using the arcade games as a shield to the outside, and just sat beside it, making sure she had a physical contact with it. It stopped trembling for a moment, then started again. She sighed, trying to figure out where to start. Plagg seemed to appreciate the fact she was there to help Adrien as he hovered to her, silently claiming her hands to cuddle. She obliged, smiling, needing reassurance herself. She was Ladybug, she was used to save Paris, but she thought she was fighting the fight of her life: saving her partner’s mind. No Lucky Charm could help her. 

She stayed silent for a while before she smiled again. "You did great today, Kitty." She congratulated, her smile in her voice. "It was your first akuma since a while, after all, and you managed to give me all the time I needed to defeat him. I understand it was hard for you, but you overcame your fears to help me, and I’m grateful for this."

"I’m useless", he answered between his teeth, his voice muffled by the comforter. "I’ve been defeated by a cardboard box ! A simple, damn stupid, cardboard box ! I thought that, after that mugger, I was finally ready, I was back to normal, but no ! My head is still a mess ! I still am a mess !" He paused, curling even more on himself, and sobbed. "Maybe you... Maybe you should... give back my... Miraculous to... to this... blue-eyed Chat Noir..." he hiccuped.

Ladybug crocked an eyebrow. "Blue-eyed Chat Noir ?! Which blue-eyed Chat Noir ?!" she asked, hearing another beep in her ear.

"The one you found to save me" he grumbled. "Or is it my mind playing me tricks again ? Sometimes, I don't even know what really happened and what I imagined in my freezing mind ! You see how fucked up I can be ?!"

"Stop that..." she grunted.

"Stop what ?" he replied the same way, still muffled by the comforter.

"Talking down of yourself,” she answered softly. "You're not messy, you're broken ! Do you really think you should have come out of this without a scratch ? Do you think your father could've done better than you in the same circumstances ? These men wanted to hurt you, body and soul... Adrien, we're _kids_ ! No adult could have come out of this unscathed ! Don't think you're weak ! You think you're a mess because that's what they wanted ! I know you’re strong, I know you can fight even when you’re scared. When Reverser reverted you to a scaredy-cat, you overcame this and fought !"

"Even so, you'd be better with an other Chat Noir than me..." Adrien replied with a sigh.

"Don't you dare !” Ladybug exclaimed, making Adrien jump. "I alone will decide if I'm better with an other Chat ! You're _MY_ Chat Noir, and I won't change you, change him, for all the gold in the world ! You're irreplaceable !"

"What about that blue-eyed Chat ?" he asked, turning what Ladybug guessed was his head, to her. "A figment of my frozen imagination ?" 

She giggled. "That was me, silly !"

"What !?"

"Tikki was out of energy, and Plagg lent me his powers so I could save both of us", the young Lady explained, realizing she was about to drop her transformation. "I was about to de-transform and I still was in the freezer with you. I guess I got a costume like yours because I’m used to see Chat Noir dressed like that... But I think blond hair suits you better..." She giggled again. "It was weird to have a black mask around the eyes, but I must say, the night vision is... _purr_ tty useful !"

Adrien couldn’t stop his chuckle. Hearing Ladybug make cat puns was always funny, even in the darkest times. He then saw a red creature enter his field of vision. He could only guess it was Tikki, Ladybug's kwami, meaning his partner was now out of her mask. He closed the opening in front of his eyes, knowing she didn't want him to know her identity yet, and was resolved to respect that.

"Thrust me, you're not as messy as you think !" said Tikki while nuzzling Adrien on the cheek, making him grin. "Nothing can be as messy as when _she_ first became Ladybug !" She added with a chuckle.

"Tikki !!" exclaimed Marinette with a sigh, but that only made Adrien giggle.

"I wish Plagg was _that_ cheerful !"

"Hey !" he grunted from Marinette's hands. "I heard that !"

Marinette petted the black cat kwami to calm him down. "Don't be hard on him; he was worried about you !" She paused. "But yes, remember StoneHeart, our first akuma ?"

"Sure ! Hard to forget..." _That's when I fell in love with you..._

"Well, I was about to give up my Miraculous", she remembered. "I felt so much as a mess that I was afraid to not be apt for the job."

"What made you change your mind ?" Adrien asked, genuinely curious.

"First, seeing my best friend in danger..." She turned to him, wrapping his shoulders with one arm. "...and you, when you picked me up when I was down..."

She felt a low rumble under her arm, coming from his chest, and it made her smirk, but she said nothing about it. They stayed like this for a moment, Marinette feeling that Adrien was more relaxed.

"So... you think I'm not a desperate cause ?" he finally asked with a small voice.

"I mostly think you need some help", she replied, stroking softly his back. "I wasn't spying on you, but you seemed to have talked to no one about it except for me, as Ladybug. Have you met a therapist or some professional ? I mean... You've talked a little about it to Nino, Alya and I, but we can't do much to help except for listening to you... And I must say, Gabriel Agreste was my idol until I realize he was unable to enter your room and talk just a little to you ! Is he even aware of what's going on in your head ?"

She felt Adrien stiff, then shake his head. Wow. She was right after all. Adrien's father was really neglecting him, and it infuriated her. She didn't realize she was tightening her grasp around his shoulders, but he wouldn't seem to care, purring more loudly. He seemed happy to have found someone who cared so much for him. He squirmed a little, silently asking for a little space, then opened a panel of the comforter.

"Can I invite you in my fortress of solitude ?" He asked with a smile in the voice.

Marinette giggled. "You're allowing strangers in your fortress for solitude ?"

"No, but you're no stranger, M'Lady !" he replied, his voice still smiling. "You slipped: I've received only Nino, Alya and Marinette as visitors since I got out from the hospital, and since you've mentioned that 'I've talked a little about it to Nino, Alya and you', my guess is that you're that wonderful person sitting right behind me in class..."

Marinette gasped, then grunted, making Adrien chuckle. "You're not disappointed by the mess I am ?" she asked with a small voice.

"Why would I ?! Clumsy or not, mask or not, _you're_ the one sitting on the floor beside me, no ? These words you said, either they were from Ladybug or from Marinette, were all I needed to cheer me up and make my day." He paused, chuckling. "Now, my arm is tiring... Are you coming, or not ?"

Marinette laughed, let go Plagg to go cuddle with Tikki somewhere in the room, and crawled into Adrien's arms. It felt so right her flush disappeared in an instant. She rested her head on his chest, near his shoulder, and he rested his head on hers. She could hear his heart pounding rapidly, the sound mixed with the loud rumble of his purring. Either he couldn't control it, or he didn't care, but hearing him purr without being transformed made her smile. He really was an overgrown cat...

"Now that we're two in your fortress of solitude, it isn't a fortress of _'solitude'_ anymore, no ?" Marinette made him notice with a smile. "How should we call it, now ?"

He tapped with a finger on his chin, then smiled. "I was thinking about the _'fortress of fluff'_ ; what do you think ?"

" _'Fortress of fluff and purr'_ might be more accurate", she answered, giggling.

He laughed heartily to that, then nodded. "I buy this !" He stayed silent for a while, enjoying the comfort of the now _fortress of fluff and purr_. "I promises I'll talk to Nathalie about scheduling an appointment with some therapist." He added, his voice serious but sincere. "This is something I can't count on my father for... Will you... stay by my side while we're fixing up my head ?"

She booped his nose with her finger. "What do you think ?! We're partners, we're a team ! Of course, I'll stay by your side !" 

"Say ? How is it you can talk to me and cuddle with me like this now, when you were unable to just greet me without stuttering and flushing as red as your costume ?" Adrien asked after a moment.

"I don't have problems speaking with Chat Noir, and..." she hesitated "placed like this, I'm not distracted by that pretty face of yours..." she answered, dropping her gaze.

At this, Adrien burst into laughter as he never did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok  
> So technically, this fic is done, but I kept a door opened JUST in case I'd find something else to write about it, but, don't expect any more chapter.  
>   
> Unless someone has an idea for a new chapter ? Please comment how you'd like things to turn out, and I'll see what I can do with it :)  
>   
> Thanks for reading !  
> I hope you enjoyed !! :)

**Author's Note:**

> OMG ! I'd never thought I'd have that much Kudos for this story !  
> [I know it's not much compared to others, but I'm so happy right now !!]
> 
> Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you !


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